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Friday, June 26, 2009

Number 547

Comics McCormick

Here's a story that up until now I've hesitated to show because of the racist character, Ajax. This sort of crude caricature wasn't uncommon in old comics, when racism was more upfront and public. I decided to show it, despite trepidations, because I like Ed Wheelan, a big favorite of mine since I discovered his 1920s comic strip, Minute Movies.

I've featured Wheelan before in Pappy's #215, a Minute Movies story he did in Flash Comics. You can check it out and see what I had to say about him.

"Comics McCormick" was published in the early EC Comics' Fat and Slat, a vaudeville-styled, "Mutt and Jeff"-inspired strip Wheelan did. The scans are from Fat and Slat #1, Summer 1947.

Frankly, Pappy, too many exellent "period" comics are left moldering in the the basements of the publishing world because of current politically correct mindsets that frown on this type of thing.

We are supposed to be residents of the 21st century and therefore better able to judge something in its proper context, but sadly that doesn't prove to be the case.

There is some excellent cartooning work here by Wheelan and despite the presence of Ajax, "modern" fans shouldn't have to feel guilty about viewing or reading it because of stereotypes that have become passe.

The crowd that gets incensed by the existence of this kind of comics material, will find plenty of fodder for their political platform elsewhere, so thanks for posting this anyway.

Been outta town, only to come back to this beautiful and very sweet tale (racial stereotypes notwithstanding). It is with a great deal of embarrassment that I must admit knowing nothing about Wheelan. My ego may be bruised by this fact, but it's easily overcome by that wonderful feeling of newly discovering something rare and beautiful. Like being a kid again, for a second anyway.